A Real Boy
by Saritadreaming
Summary: A Leprechaun caught...A wish gone awry...A case of amnesia...With a twist of LEMON...Shaken, not stirred *Human/Vampire* *WINNER of the FFFW "Luck of the Irish" One Shot Contest*


**A/N: This story won the FFFW "Luck of the Irish" one shot contest for March 2010. As per usual, I had no idea what was going to come out when I sat down to write this—I only knew that I wanted Edward to be human for a day. I love vamp Edward, but I am also quite obsessed with a green eyed Edward. Yum.**

**Thanks to all the ladies at FFFW that voted for my story! A banner was made for me by the lovely IAK—if you go to my profile, it is in my story banner album on photbucket.**

**Mega thanks to my beta Jess (jkane180) who is too awesome for words. I agree with BellaFlan—she **_**should**_** be carried around like a purse dog. (can we take turns?) Hehe.**

"**A Real Boy"**

**~*Saint Patrick's Day*~**

The woods were silent—not a good sign. He scurried from tree to rock, rock to bush, bush to log...all in the name of staying hidden. Little legs moved like lightning, carrying him quickly, but he also had "the shimmer" on his side. "The shimmer" was his way of throwing a glamour, so the humans couldn't see him—or catch him. It just wouldn't do to have to give up his pot of gold or make someone's stupid fantasy come true (although normally, their fantasy _was_ to have the pot of gold). Richter had never been caught in all his hundreds of years. Usually this thought would cause him to preen, twisting his little red mustache between his fingers, but today the animals of the forest had gone silent—a warning that _something wicked this way comes_.

_SNAP!_

Richter found himself snatched from the forest floor, and brought face to face with the golden eyes of a predator. _Gulp_.

"Aye, let me go, ye brute!" Richter rasped in his Irish brogue, struggling desperately.

The golden eyes looked back at him with amusement. "Not on your life, you little shit."

"Little shit! How dare ye!"

"I want what's due me, Leprechaun," the predator growled.

Richter had no choice. He had been caught, fair and square. Twitching his mustache, he thought about it, realized he was not dealing with a human, and could be in real danger. Deciding it wasn't worth the risk, he nodded. "I give me word. What are ye? Ye certainly aren't human."

"Vampire, my little friend." A smile spread across the vampire's handsome face.

"Well, come on then, I'll give ye me pot o' gold," he sighed heavily.

"I don't want your gold."

Richter's nose twitched. "What?!" he shrieked. "Ye don't want me gold? What the Sam Hill do ye want then?"

"To be human for one day."

"You aren't jes a vampire—yer crazy!" Richter cackled his lunatic laugh. "But whatever the crazy vampire wants..."

**~*Alice*~**

Saint Patrick's Day! I knew it was a _little_ ridiculous, but I just had to plan a party. Yes, yes, we were vampires and all that—yada, yada. The traditionally celebrated holidays had lost their luster for me, once again, and I was back to the lesser known ones such as Valentine's Day and Saint Patrick's Day.

Carlisle indulged me with a simple amused look. Esme was all for it, God love her! Edward said he would allow me my moment as long as he didn't have to dress in green (you can't win 'em all). Rosalie just snorted and walked out of the room—the party pooper. Emmett actually went to the store with me and helped set up all the decorations—what a guy! Jasper rolled his eyes behind my back—to my face he just smiled wanly, because he knew I would have him dressed up in a way he would hate but would suffer gladly, because he loved me. _Smile._ Bella rolled her eyes but agreed to it all—even the green.

On Saint Patty's Day, Edward flew out the door, muttering about going hunting. "Sure, Edward! Nice way to get out of helping!" I called after him. Whatever.

Emmett and I had the house decked out in green finery in no time...twinkling lights and shamrocks galore! It was a Luck-O'-the-Irish Wonderland.

Suddenly I froze, eyes glazing over...

"_What?! Ye don't want me gold? What the Sam Hill do ye want then?" The cry of surprise came from a little Leprechaun dangling from Edward's fingers. Oh, no._

"_To be human for one day," Edward replied._

"_You aren't jes a vampire—yer crazy!" the Leprechaun cackled. "But whatever the crazy vampire wants..."_

_There was a blinding flash, and then Edward was lying on his back on the ground. When he opened his eyes, they were green, and he was human!_

"_Ow!" Edward rubbed his head. "Where am I? How did I get here? Who am I?"_

_**~*~*~**_

"Jasper!" I yelled out, frantically. In a moment he was by my side, eyes clouded with concern as he felt the emotions coming off me.

"What is it, Darlin'?"

"It's Edward. He caught a Leprechaun!" I sputtered.

Jasper burst out laughing. "They _do _exist!"

"Not funny, Jasper! He caught the little bugger and made a wish! A wish to be human for one day. But not only that, when he was changed to human—he didn't know _where_ or _who_ he was!"

"Oh, shit. Let's call his cell," Jasper suggested.

Grabbing my phone, I dialed Edward's number only to hear a vibration nearby on the coffee table. He had left his cell phone behind. Edward _never_ went out without his phone—he did this on purpose, so I couldn't reach him. He set out to find that Leprechaun, knowing what a crazy idea it was, and that I might see it and try to stop him. Damn!

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Emmett bounded down the stairs, nearly ripping the door off its hinges. "Bella! Welcome to our crazy house! You look good in green," Emmett said appreciatively with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Jasper and I froze, staring at each other. What the heck were we supposed to tell her—if anything?

"Hey guys! Where's Edward?"

"He's out hunting, Bella. Listen, Jasper and I have to go do some last minute stuff. Can you keep an eye on Emmett for me?" I winked.

"Sure, Alice." Bella looked a bit uncertain but didn't question me.

Emmett was thrilled. "Hey, Bells, let's play some X-box! C'mon!" He dragged her away quickly, much to my relief.

~*~*

Jasper and I went outside, and I headed straight for the garage, which earned me a strange look. I sighed. "Edward doesn't know who he is. He's _not_ going to recognize us, he can't move like we can right now, and he _isn't _going to willingly jump on the back of a vampire for a ride. We'll need a car. He's out in the woods, the big oaf. Just wait until he's a vampire again—I'm going to kick his ass!"

Jasper snorted back laughter and got in the car, avoiding my look of annoyance.

We drove to where I estimated Edward might be and pulled the car off the road. Heading off on foot, we tracked his scent to a clearing. There was an indentation on the ground where he must have fallen, and his smell was different and yet much the same. We started tracking him through the forest.

My eyes glazed over... "Oh, Edward, no, no, no!"

"What is it?" Jasper asked.

"He's gone over the Quileute treaty line! Damn it! Now we have to call the dogs," I sighed, taking out my phone and dialing Jacob Black's cell number.

"Hello?"

"Jacob, it's Alice Cullen."

"Well, if it isn't the bloodsucking psychic! What am I doing right now, sweetheart?" Jacob's smirk could be clearly heard through the phone. I had the urge to punch him.

"Listen, we need your help. Edward is on your land and -"

"He what?!" Playful tone gone, Jacob sounded pissed.

"Please let me explain. He caught a Leprechaun, and it had to grant him his wish. He asked to be human for one day, and now he doesn't know who he is or where he is. Edward has amnesia!" There was a strangled sound on the other end of the line. "Jacob? Are you okay? _Are you there?_"

"Yeah..." Jacob drew in a breath, and then I realized he was laughing. "Holy shit—that is so funny. There really are Leprechauns? Edward really did that? Now he's wandering around on our..._oh, shit!_ I have to call Sam!"

"Yes, please! Can you find him and meet us at the treaty line? Please, Jacob. I will owe you big."

"Damn straight you'll owe me big." He hung up.

**~*Edward*~**

When I opened my eyes, I had no idea what was happening. The light was bright, and there was a lot of green and blue. Blinking rapidly, allowing my eyes to grow used to the light, I realized I was on the ground looking up through the trees of a forest. How did I get in the woods? Lifting my head from the forest floor, I felt a pain shoot around the left side of it. "Ow!" Wracking my brain for how I came to be there, I found no memory. Actually, I found no memories _at all_. "Where am I? How did I get here? Who am I?" I muttered.

Sitting up, the realization hit me that I had no fucking clue who I was. Somehow I knew that I was in Forks, Washington—talk about a useless piece of trivia. Getting up slowly, I dusted myself off and started walking. There was no sign of civilization here; I was deep in the woods. I searched my mind but found no inherent knowledge of how to find my way out of the woods when lost, so I just kept going.

Eventually, I came to a clearing where I saw...no way. I rubbed my eyes, shook my head a little, and looked again. _Giant wolves_. They were still there, in a semi-circle, _grinning_ at me. My heart raced in my chest, beating an alarmingly fast tattoo, and I was afraid it would burst. Air was hard to come by, and I started to hyperventilate.

Suddenly, one of the wolves trotted away into the tree line. A few minutes later, a very large, muscled man walked out from between the wolves. As he came towards me, his hand brushed over the fur of one of them, and it nudged his hand with its gargantuan head. He wore nothing but cut-off shorts, despite the cold temperature, and yet he seemed quite comfortable.

The man continued walking slowly toward me, a barely concealed smile on his face. Unable to take my eyes off him, I stood there staring, mouth opening and closing.

"Hello, Edward," he said, finally.

"You-you know me?"

He sighed deeply. "Yes. Your family is looking for you. They asked me to get you safely back to the border of our land."

"Oh. Well...thank you. And you are?"

"Jacob."

"You don't like me, do you, Jacob?" I asked him.

"You can tell, huh? Sorry about that." Jacob ducked his head—in embarrassment?

"That's okay. Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry, but I don't know who I am," I said awkwardly. "Who are they?" I gestured to the giant wolves behind him.

"Don't worry yourself about them, Edward. They won't hurt you. C'mon, let's go meet your family." Jacob started walking, and I followed him. The wolves remained where they were, their eyes trained on me curiously.

We walked for a while and eventually we came to a tree line where Jacob stopped. "Well, here is it. This is the end of the line for me, Edward. Hey, Alice!" he yelled out with his hands cupped around his mouth.

A pixie-like woman emerged from the other side of the trees, bouncing on her toes and waving. "Hey, Edward! Come on over here." She gestured for me to come to her. I found it strange that they were so far apart. Why didn't they just come together instead of speaking from so far away? "Thank you, Jacob. I owe you." Alice gave Jacob a thumbs-up.

"I intend to collect, you know," Jacob answered, amusement in his voice.

"I know." Alice smiled. A man came up from behind, putting his arms around her. Neither one of them looked familiar to me.

"Edward, thank God! I'm Jasper, by the way," the man addressed me.

Jacob snorted. "Well, I will leave you to your family reunion. I have things to do. See you, Edward."

"Thank you, Jacob," I said politely. Feeling awkward, I made my way over to my family. They were both quite beautiful, with pale sculpted features and the same golden eyes.

"It's okay, Edward," Alice called to me softly. "I know this is strange for you. Our car isn't too far from here—let's get you home, and then we can talk about what happened. Okay?"

"I guess. You don't look familiar to me. I don't know either of you."

"I know, honey. This must all be so weird, but getting home might help jog your memory."

"Why doesn't Jacob like me?"

"Because...you're both in love with the same woman," Alice said carefully.

"Oh!" Somehow that wasn't what I expected to hear. "What happened?"

"You got her, and he didn't," Jasper snickered, and Alice poked him in the ribs.

"I have a girlfriend?" I asked curiously.

"You sure do, and she's back at the house right now. She loves you more than life itself, Edward. Maybe seeing her will help jog your memory." Alice's eyes lit up at the thought.

Knowing there was someone waiting for me, someone that loved me, made me _want_ to go home with these strange people. Willingly, I allowed them to lead me back to the car, a silver Volvo. Something about the car struck a nerve. "Is that...my car?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes!" Alice clapped her hands together with excitement.

Jasper got behind the wheel, I sat in the passenger seat, and Alice took the back. The ride was fairly short, and pleasant, but I was anxious to get back to our house to see if I recognized it. We turned onto a long, winding drive that seemed to go on forever and eventually pulled up in front of a beautiful house.

Nothing.

I turned to look at Alice and shook my head; she looked disappointed.

"Edward, let me go in and warn the others that you won't recognize them. I don't want to upset anyone unnecessarily. Okay?"

"Okay."

Alice was gone for about ten minutes, then the front door opened, and she came out with a beautiful, mahogany haired goddess. _My Bella._

**~*Bella*~**

Emmett had an insatiable appetite for video games, which I found amusing considering how old he was. After a while, I grew tired of playing and wandered up to Edward's room to wait for him. I plucked a copy of Jane Austen off his bookshelf and curled up in a chair to read. A while later Alice came into the room.

"Hey, Bella."

"Hi, Alice! Any sign of Edward yet?"

"Actually, yes. That's why I'm here." Alice looked down at her feet awkwardly. My heart started to race.

"Did something happen?" My eyes met hers, and I knew something was terribly wrong. "Oh, my God, Alice, please tell me!"

"He's okay, Bella. Something really weird happened, and I wanted to explain it before you see him. Edward had this crazy idea of going out to the woods today to catch a Leprechaun," Alice said through gritted teeth.

"A what? Do they really—"

"Yes, they _really exist_, Bella. So...Edward actually caught one. If you catch them, they have to either give you their pot of gold _or_ grant you a wish. Edward, in his infinite wisdom, wished to be human for one day."

I gasped. _ Human? _ Flesh-and-blood, beating-heart human? My mouth opened and closed. "Did it-did it work?" I whispered.

"Yes. Unfortunately, Edward didn't specify that he wanted to have all his vampire memories intact when he was made human. He has amnesia, Bella. Edward doesn't know who he is." Alice's golden gaze looked deeply into mine.

Oh. My. God. Edward didn't know who he was?

"But you found him? How?"

"Through my visions. He actually walked right over the treaty line, but I called Jacob, and he escorted him back over. Since Edward was human, there was technically no breach in the treaty. Although, Jacob gave me quite the hard time, that _dog_," Alice snorted with disgust.

"Can I see him?" I asked softly.

"Yes. Edward didn't recognize me or Jasper, but the Volvo did cause a twinge, and I am hoping that seeing you might help a little more. At the end of the day, he will turn back, and then all his memories will return, but there must be a reason that he wanted this. I'm sure it involved you."

My eyes filled with tears. He wanted this because of _me._ Edward was trying to give me a day of being human together. "Where is he?" I asked breathlessly.

Alice led the way down the stairs and out the front door to where the Volvo was parked. Jasper got out of the driver side, then the passenger door opened, and Edward stood up. He looked the same but different. His features, while still painfully beautiful, were softer, and his skin wasn't as pale. His hair was exactly the same: a bronze riot of strands arcing every which way. When he turned his face up, and his eyes met mine, that's when I got the real surprise. His eyes were a beautiful shade of _green_! I drew in a breath and ran down the stairs.

"Edward!"

At the sound of my voice, his eyes seemed to fill with something. "_Bella?_"

Stopping short a foot away, I said, "You recognize me?"

"Yes? Sort of?" Edward's fathomless green eyes were filled with confusion.

Standing still, I reached my hand out, offering it to him. Edward looked at my fingers for a few seconds and then slowly reached his hand out in return. Trepidation filled me as I wondered if the spark that was usually present between us would still be there. What if it was gone? As his fingertips brushed mine, all fear was washed away as electricity hummed between us. Edward's beautiful green eyes shot up to mine—he was feeling it, too.

"It's still there," I sighed with relief.

"You feel that? What is it?" His eyebrows knit together.

"_That_ is our connection, Edward. We always feel it whenever we touch." I smiled at him.

Edward gazed at me, head tilted to the side. I felt nervous under the intensity of his green eyes—eyes that were so familiar and yet not—as though he was inspecting me, judging me. He raked his eyes from my feet all the way up, lingering over my body, to my face, and then he..._blushed_. How very cute! It was so strange to see Edward's face redden with color the way mine always did. Our eyes met, and he reached out, trailing his fingers along my cheek. "You're beautiful, Bella," Edward whispered. "Are you really mine?"

I grinned. "Yes, I'm really yours."

"You chose _me_." There was a note of pride in his voice.

Suddenly, he drew in a breath, squinting his emerald eyes closed and pulling his hand back to grip at his head.

"Edward? Alice! What's wrong with him?" I turned desperately toward the door, but Alice and Jasper had gone while I'd been so fascinated with Edward. "Alice! Jasper! We need help out here!"

I stumbled forward, gripping Edward's forearms gently, unsure what I could do for him. Leading him to the steps, I helped him sit down.

By then, Alice flew out the door. "What's happening?"

"I-I'm not sure. He seems to be in pain," I stammered.

Edward continued to grip his head, as though trying to keep it from exploding, and he started rocking back and forth, moaning. "Bella? Where are you?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"I'm right here, Edward." I sat beside him, putting my hand on his leg.

He removed one of the hands from his head and put his arm around me, crushing me to his body as he continued to rock. "Bella, it hurts," he whispered. "Please, why is this happening to me?"

Edward sounded so scared and small in that moment, and I wished fervently that there was something I could do to help him. "Alice? Do you have any idea what's happening to him?"

"Edward, are you having any memories?" Alice inquired.

"Yes. There are these images flooding my mind, going by too fast to identify."

"I think I know what's going on here." Alice's face filled with recognition. "Edward's mind is being overloaded with his memories. Memories that belong to a different_ kind_ of mind, one that moves at a faster speed than this one."

"Oh! That makes sense, Alice. Maybe that's why he had amnesia to begin with?"

"Yes. The memories are crowding in, too many at once."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked, looking up at Alice. "Memories that belong to a _different kind of mind_?"

"Edward, it's best if we don't push you, or it will get worse. How about we get you up to your room where you can lay down for a while?" Alice suggested.

Edward looked panicked. "Can Bella come? I need Bella." He appeared so vulnerable—such a contrast to the vampire that I knew and loved.

"Of course, I'll come, Edward. Whatever you need." I caressed his face.

He gripped my hand tightly as he got up off the steps, and together we headed upstairs to his room. When he saw the bed with the silky golden comforter, he grabbed at his head again, and fell to his knees. After a few minutes, Edward crawled over to the bed and knelt beside it, caressing the silk with his fingers. "This bed...it means something to us, Bella. We were laying here...kissing....but I was worried about hurting you—killing you! Why would I fear killing you?" His voice rose in panic.

Slowly, I lowered myself to my knees beside Edward, rubbing slow circles on his back. "Edward, please don't force this. Everything will be okay."

He turned his intense green eyes on me. "Bella, why would I be worried about killing you? Have I ever hurt you?" he asked quietly, a tremor in his voice.

"No, Edward, you've never hurt me. Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Let it go. If it comes, it comes—but please don't try to force it. I need you; I'm scared for you." Edward nodded his head. I helped him up on the bed, and Alice brought in a glass of water and some Aspirin.

"Bella, will you stay with me?"

"Yes, of course."

We lay there, side by side, as Edward slipped into sleep. It didn't escape me that this was a role-reversal of sorts; I was the strong one right now, helping him, watching over him while he slept. As he breathed in and out evenly, I examined his face closely, memorizing every nuance, knowing it wouldn't be around for long. Edward's brow creased, and I ran my finger along the worry line gently, smoothing it away. As time went on, his sleep grew fitful, and he started mumbling unintelligible words.

While Edward slept, Alice came in to let me know the family was going hunting, so Edward and I could have our privacy. Thanking her, I settled back in to watch Edward in his slumber.

Eventually, he started to thrash around on the bed and then suddenly sat straight up, eyes startled. Slowly, he turned his head, green eyes meeting brown ones.

"Bella, I have all these memories in my head...and I don't know if they could be real. Am I crazy?" he whispered.

"No, Edward, you aren't crazy. Tell me about the memories; maybe I can help," I encouraged.

"In these dreams, I was a-a vampire. I had trouble resisting your blood. At first, I wanted to...kill you...then I fell in love with you and would have _died_ _for you_." Edward hesitated. "I know, it sounds ridiculous; there's no such thing as vampires. It must be symbolic." He shook his head.

"Um, Edward? It's all true. That was no dream—you were remembering how we met and fell in love. You _did_ want to kill me when you first saw me. You _were_ a vampire."

"But...how can I be human now? Why was I wandering the woods? Wait...oh, my God...I remember."

"You...remember?"

"Yes!" Edward turned his emerald eyes on me, and they were filled with love...and the essence of _Edward_. "Oh, Bella, I wanted this to be for you. I caught that little buzzard, and he granted my wish to become human for today, but I never thought about how difficult it would be to fit all the memories of a vampire into the human brain."

"Oh, Edward, why did you do this? Don't you know I love you just as you are?"

He cupped my face in his warm—yes, warm!—hands and looked deep into my eyes. "I wanted to do this for us. I wanted you to see what I was like as a human and be able to touch you without the fear of breaking you," he whispered. "To be able to kiss you without worrying about my teeth..."

Lowering his lips to mine, Edward kissed me softly, sending jolts through my already thrumming body. His lips were warm, soft and plush. It felt like kissing Edward, and yet it didn't. Our mouths met over and over, slowly and gently, exploring. My heart was beating hard, and I placed my hand over Edward's chest, feeling his heart thudding away, too. It was so surreal, to feel his heart beating underneath my hand. A thrill went through me. I snaked my other arm around his waist, feeling his lean-muscled back against my palm.

Edward's hands left my face, skimming along my hair and down my back, pulling me tightly to his chest with a moan. "Bella." His kisses grew more heated, and his tongue licked along my bottom lip. My mouth opened to his tentatively. When our tongues met, it was like there was an explosion behind my eyes—sparks flew, and the connection that was always present between us increased tenfold. I knew Edward was also feeling it when he groaned into my mouth. Drawing in a ragged breath, his tongue plunged into my mouth, dancing against mine, bringing out new sensations. We fell back onto the bed, facing each other on our sides, as we continued kissing and exploring each other's mouths.

We lay there making out for the longest time, going no further. Being able to fully explore Edward's mouth, without fear, was liberating. I nipped at him, sucked his lips into my mouth and entwined my tongue with his in a fight for domination. I became aggressive, rolling myself on top, straddling him and ravishing him with kisses until both of our lips looked bee-stung.

When I came up for air, I looked down into his beautiful green eyes and, for the first time, saw true contentment there. I realized it was the first time I had ever seen Edward truly relaxed, and the thought made me ache. "I love you," I whispered fiercely, stroking his swollen lips with my index finger.

"I love you, too, Bella. So much." Edward's voice was husky, and there were things in his eyes that I couldn't read.

"What is it, Edward? What are you thinking?"

For a few moments he just stared at me, reaching up and stroking my cheek. Then his green eyes darkened, and he rolled us suddenly, so he was suspended over me, and placed a lingering kiss on my lips. "I'm thinking that I've never felt so free." He trailed gentle kisses along my jaw, nuzzling his nose under my ear. "I don't have to worry about hurting you or killing you. _I'm a real boy_." I could feel him smile against my neck.

"Edward, you've always _been_ real to me. You just need to have the confidence in yourself. Tell me, will you remember what happens today? How things feel?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Then pay close attention. You will have experienced touching me and kissing me, and you'll know what we can do when you're a vampire again."

Edward's eyes lit up. "What you said makes a lot of sense, Bella. That means we should do more of this..." Dipping his head down, he brushed his lips against mine sensuously, drawing his tongue along my bottom lip. Our tongues met, and this time it was slower and more thorough. I felt his hardness pressing against me, and I moaned into his mouth.

Breaking away from our kiss, he licked and sucked his way down my neck, until he was nuzzling between my breasts. I pushed my fingers into his riot of bronze hair, holding him tight to me. Undoing the buttons on my blouse, Edward swirled his tongue between my breasts, and I arched my back into the sensations flowing through me. He reached behind me, unhooking my bra and pulling it off my arms, letting my breasts fall free. When his lips closed over my nipple, I thought I would explode. He flicked his tongue, making my nipple tighten deliciously, and I felt it right to my core, causing me to wriggle around beneath him.

"Edward," I breathed. It was wonderful to experience a bold Edward—feeling free to explore without the usual inhibitions.

Lifting my body up to remove my blouse and bra the rest of the way, Edward paused to gaze at me as though I was a goddess before running his fingers lightly over my breasts, ribcage, along the curve of my waist, and over my stomach. He tossed his shirt aside, coming back down over me until we were joined together, skin on skin. "Oh, Bella," he sighed, "you have no idea what you do to me."

Unable to speak, I pulled his mouth down to mine again and our tongues met eagerly. Edward's hand cupped my breast as we continued kissing, and eventually, his hand traveled further down until he reached the top of my jeans. I drew in a startled breath, expecting a cloud of Edward's heavenly scent to intoxicate me and finding instead, Edward's _human essence_. It's not that I didn't find him divine in any form—it was just startling and a reminder that we could do _anything_.

"Is this alright, Bella?" he asked in a breathless, husky voice. I nodded, and he continued his exploration of my skin. His lips left mine, traveling down my neck and over my breasts to my navel, where he unbuttoned my jeans and tugged them off gently. Tucking his fingers beneath the edges of my panties, he looked to me for permission to remove them. Slowly, he slid them over my hips and down my legs. I shivered with anticipation, and I could feel myself growing wet. Vampire Edward would have been able to smell my arousal, but with Human Edward there was more of an element of surprise, and the playing field was a bit more even.

He kissed his way up my leg slowly, starting at my ankle...placing little nipping kisses over my calf, my knee, my thigh..._oh my. _When his lips landed between my legs...I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. No _hand _(save for my own) had ever been there before—certainly _no lips_. Gently, he parted my folds and touched his tongue to the sensitive nub of flesh hidden within. A moan escaped my lips, and I dug my hands into his hair—I couldn't help myself. Edward flicked his tongue, and my hips lifted involuntarily. "Oh..."

Edward inserted a finger, gently pushing it inside me. The sensation of his tongue and finger simultaneously almost sent me over the edge. He stilled his ministrations, sensing I was on the brink, and squeezed my hip lightly with his other hand. After a moment he started again, adding another finger, pumping in and out slowly. Heat pooled in my abdomen, and sensations started to build inside me, layer upon layer, lifting me higher, until I thought I would simply shatter. I let out panting whimpers as I went off over the edge...fireworks exploding behind my eyes...all coherency gone as I floated on undulating waves of ecstasy.

As I came down, Edward slowed, stopping when the aftershocks came to an end. He pulled back, looking up at me, green eyes peeking out from under his dark lashes. "Did that feel good, Bella?" he asked, running his tongue over his upper lip.

"I had no idea I could feel something like that, Edward," I answered breathlessly, my heart still beating fast.

Edward removed his pants and slid slowly up my body, pressing his lips to mine. "Taste, Bella. Taste yourself on me—how delicious you are," he murmured against my mouth. As our tongues tangled together, I could taste myself, and I moaned. Edward settled himself between my legs, and I could feel his hardness pressed against my center. "I want to be inside you, Bella," he groaned, pressing his hips forward slightly.

"Yes, Edward, please. I want you."

"Are you sure, Love?"

"I've never been more sure of anything. Please, Edward, make love to me," I whimpered.

His beautiful face hovered over mine, green eyes darkening perceptibly at my words. Reaching up, I trailed my fingers over his cheeks, down his neck to his sculpted chest. My fingers continued traveling their path...down his navel, wrapping around his hips and pulling him in closer. Edward moaned. Lining himself up with my center, he entered me slowly. "Let me know if I hurt you, Love."

Edward continued pushing in slowly, until he reached my barrier, breaking it with a quick snap of his hips and then halting his movements. There was a slight, stinging pain, but it was hardly noticeable compared to the other sensations flooding my body. "Are you okay?" he whispered, hoarsely.

"More than okay, Edward. I never even_ imagined_ that I could feel like this. Please, don't stop."

Dipping his head down, his lips met mine and he entered into me completely. Pulling out almost all the way and then pushing back in, he set a slow, rolling rhythm of his hips. Our lips met over and over, tongues entwining. As his pace increased, he licked, sucked, and bit his way down my neck. I could feel the pressure of another orgasm building as Edward moved inside me. "Oh, God, Bella. I've never felt like this before. I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Edward." I watched his face above me as the sensations built within him, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. He ducked his head down to kiss my neck again, but I stopped him. "No, I want to see you, Edward. I want to watch you..." I blushed. Edward moaned, his green eyes blazing into mine like liquid fire. His movements were faster now, less controlled. I raised my hips to meet his, thrust for thrust, as the orgasm built up again, wave upon wave...nerve endings almost raw with ecstasy. I struggled to keep my eyes open so I could watch Edward, in all his human glory, as he teetered on the edge of heaven with me.

"Bella," he panted. "My God, Bella..."

It all came together for me then: Edward's sacrifice for me, the sensations flooding my body, watching him hovering above as he made love to me, those smoldering green eyes. "Oh...Edward! Yes!" I yelled out as I went over the edge, yet again. This time I rolled into the orgasm slower, and it built to a crescendo that disconnected me from everything except for what I was feeling. It was complete and mind blowing.

Edward's movements became erratic as he started to lose himself in the beginning of his orgasm. His face contorted, and he threw his head back, the chords standing out in his neck. "Oh God, yes! Bella! I'm going to..." Edward exploded inside me, setting off my third orgasm.

~*~

We lay snuggled together, basking in the afterglow, unable to stop touching each other. Turning my face to his, I smiled. "That was amazing, Edward. I love you."

Green eyes, sparkling with happiness, met mine. "It sure was. Wow. I will love you forever, Bella. You mean everything to—AH!" Edward yelped in pain squinting his eyes closed.

"Edward? What is it?"

"No, no, no. Not yet, please," he moaned low in his throat.

"Edward, please tell me what's happening!"

"I'm changing back. I'm not ready; I want to stay with you like this." He turned his agonized green eyes on me and tears coursed down his cheeks. I kissed them away gently. "NO! Please, I don't want to disappear."

"Edward, you aren't going to disappear," I whispered. "We will _always_ have these memories...always have this day. I love you! We will have an eternity together. Please don't cry."

Edward buried his head in my neck, mumbling words of love and yelling out prayers to stay human that would go unanswered. I held him as painful spasms rocked his body—his skin hardening slowly back to its previous cold, marble solidness, muscles redefining and sculpting themselves, the planes of his face growing sharper. I could feel his heart beating so hard beneath our hands, as we entwined them there to witness the last beats of his heart together.

Eventually, his heart stopped. The tears dried up, although Edward still cried in dry, wracking sobs. When I touched his face gently, he opened his eyes, and I saw that the green was gone—replaced by the warm Topaz that I loved so much.

"The burn is back," he whispered, sadly. "My throat burns from the scent of your blood. I'm so sorry, Bella."

"Whatever for?"

"I thought it would be a good idea, but it was just a tease. How can you stand to be with me _like this_ after..." Edward closed his eyes.

"Edward, I loved every moment of today. But I fell in love with you as a vampire. My love for you will never change. Do you think today could hurt what we have?"

Edward opened his eyes. "You are so special, Bella. I don't know what I did to deserve you. I love you so much."

I leaned over and kissed his lips softly. They were familiar again, and a cloud of heavenly Edward scent washed over me. I licked his bottom lip, and his tongue came out tentatively to touch mine. Progress.

"So, you think we can kiss like this now?" I asked.

"If I put _my_ tongue in_ your _mouth...yes. My teeth are still dangerous to you," Edward whispered, and then plunged his tongue into my mouth. _Oh, yeah_.

After we explored kissing for a while, I asked, "How about the rest of what we were doing..."

"We can talk about it..." Edward smiled down at me.

**~*Edward*~**

Six weeks have passed since Saint Patrick's Day. I learned a lot of things from my experience. I learned that Bella and I could safely kiss using our tongues. I learned that I could bring her to the heights of ecstasy by putting my tongue somewhere else on her anatomy. We're even able to make love. Using the memories of my human moments with Bella, I know how much I can do with her. Let's just say...we've been having a _lot_ of fun.

I got some news from Bella today that shocked me but made me the happiest man alive. She came over, face red, obviously bursting at the seams to tell me something. When I asked her what was going on, she handed me a gift bag. I opened it up, and there was a pregnancy test inside with a big pink PLUS SIGN showing in the window. I'm going to be a father. Never thought I would be saying _that_. I wonder if he or she will have green eyes...

*

**A/N: I have already been asked by several people about continuing this story. It would have been nice if I wasn't constrained to the 7000 word limit for the contest. I would have liked to flesh the story out a bit more, but it is what it is. That said, I might possibly do something else with this story in the future. Right now, I am waaay too busy with my other fics. By the number of nudges I get, I would say I don't update them often enough now, so I will not take on another project at this time. Hehe.**

**If you like this story and are interested in any continuances or outtakes I might come up with, then put it on Story Alert or put me on Author Alert.**

**My beta Jess made a good point about the end of the story. Alice might have seen this pregnancy coming and would have had a difficult time hiding it from Edward. Alice usually sees things that are **_**decision driven**_**, so it's possible she wouldn't have known anything until Bella took the pregnancy test. I thought about this and decided I like my ending the way it is.**


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